Early risers... how do you do it?

[pdonk]

Almost all of my rides this year have started before 6am. My routine is as follows:

Layout everything the night before - gear, food, water
Check tires night before
Charge lights and computer over night
Get up
Bathroom.
Get dressed
Get out the door
Start eating about 20 minutes in

This is for rides in the 50 to 80 km range.

Adding a few more random points...

I also started early morning riding due to wanting to spend more time with my daughter.

Getting up and riding more km has been made easier by setting mileage goals. I actually rode 1000km in a month for the first time ever. By having goals it reinforced importance of getting up and out the door. Becoming a paid strava user has helped set and monitor the goals.

Final point, I need to get up and going or I stall and miss the window

[jb_11]

Have kids and get more aches and pains from growing older. Getting up early will be easier then

[Waldo62]

No eating, I'm into fasted training. My longest fasted ride is 43 hilly miles = 2:45. After a while, you just wake up. It helps if you're meeting like-minded obsessives and have your bike, lights, and clothes ready. All I have to do is get dressed, fill one bottle, drink a glass of water, and out the door I go. I can get out of the house in 10 minutes.

[phoenix]

Originally Posted by zambenini

I love dawn patrol rides, though we have a 6mo baby, so it right now depends entirely on what kind of night everyone had.

That said, I like to be on the trail at first light (I only ride mtb). one cuppa joe en route to the trailhead, breakfast with the fam when I get home. Works great for a 1-2hr ride.

Fasted cardio is good for yas.

Same club here, our baby girl is 10.5 months old. Some days the alarm goes off, and ya just have to stay in bed!

[72gmc]

1. Get a job in live radio early in life—5am becomes so late it’s luxurious
2. 1/3 of a regular breakfast
3. Coffee
4. Poop (because 2 and 3)
5. Roll out with enough water and snack for a bite and sip every 15 mins, I like fig newtons or dried fruit
6. Shower followed by bike forum/podcast/Friday Fails, more coffee, and satisfaction

[coreyaugustus]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! There seem to be some common themes here that may help move me along this week.

[joosttx]

I wake up around 3:30-4:00am 3-4 times a week. To catch the sunrise

1) go to bed early
2) when you wake up lie to yourself saying it will be worth it when you get to where you want to go.

Every time I want to go back to bed. I just have to really focus on my goal to get me through the drogginess.

[zlin]

Download and read The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.

I do the dawn ride each morning before toddler gets up.

Doesn’t take much to start a new habit and make it routine.

Good luck and have fun!

[mcfarton]

Tomorrow I will get up 4:45-5. I will meet a friend at 5:50 to ride.

Bathroom
Coffee
Cold cereal
Bathroom
Get dressed
Go

I can get ready faster but I don’t mind a bit of time for getting ready. The temperature is better early. There is less traffic early. I am available for work and family the rest of the day. I never regret an early ride.


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[OldCrank]

Wow I admire riders who can get started with just a cuppa.

I need at least some cereal / museli / yog / fruit to start the engine.

Took me awhile but now I'm up around 5 - 5:30 every day. Lots of light until October, then install the headlight.

Enjoy the ride.

[EB]

If you can adapt, it’s Just Better:

* less traffic
* trails are clear (if you ride trails)
* more time with loved ones
* the beauty of sunrise on the bike

Special mention Bay Area reason:
* afternoon riding in the Bay is plagued with soul-sapping westerly winds in Fall, Spring, and Summer - morning is still and calm

Hardest part that I’ve found isn’t adjusting, it’s getting out of the house without waking the spouse. YMMV.

[Hellgate]

2 shots of espresso, eat on the road. Banana and a couple of fig bars.

[weisan]

I blame it on my dad. I was maybe 12 or 14. I would wake up in the middle of the night and see that the light outside in the living room is on. I would go outside and check. My dad would be watching either a badminton tournament or a political speech. I would just sit there and watch with him. Over time, my biological clock shifted to wake up automatically at 4 am. It's been a habit since.

I do enjoy the solitude and the quiet while everybody is still in bed. I would go out and ride my bike while it's still dark. The morning coolness, the fragrance, the deserted roads, the almost non-existent traffic...yes, all very nice.

But you know what...I need a nap in the middle of the day or else I will deteriorate very quickly as the day go by. By 4 or 5pm, I am pretty much useless.

[joosttx]

My early morning is:

1) turn off alarm
2) have internal argument to just sleep (see my previous post How to win that argument)
3) check HRV / recovery
4) check blood pressure
5) piss
6) weigh myself
7) get dressed
8) brush teeth
9) go

I don’t usually eat anything before a ride. If I am feeling super tired. I’ll ride to the gas station and get a Red Bull and a cashew trail mix

[carpediemracing]

Originally Posted by redir

Awe, I was kind of hoping that story went something like, now 25 years of marriage later and the kids off to college we started riding together in the mornings... er something like that

Heh no such ending. We had one non-riding date, just before she moved away, but I think we both knew it wasn't going to work out. She reached out via FB maybe 4-5 years ago which was nice.

Ironically (?) she and an ex- are friends now. In fact a few of my ex-gfs are friends with one another now.